Get an Early Start

I think the only way I am going to get a blog or two in is to do it in the morning. The past few days Karla and I spent heading north to Sacramento, shopping at the IKEA store. We used to go to their Palo Alto store, but thought we’d try something different. The mileage is about the same either way.

We had spotted a very nice kitchen island at Palo Alto, but they didn’t have any in stock. We went to the Sacramento store on Friday but they were out of the tables also. Being a little smarter this time, I checked IKEA’s Web site for both stores, and it showed that neither had any available. Bummer, since it is a very nice item. We found out that whenever these islands come in, they practically vanish immediately they’re so popular. One of the store’s employees told us we’d better arrive early on the day the islands go into the warehouse to be sure of getting one.

So I found out that six of the islands would be at the Sacramento store on Sunday. We got up at five and left the house at six sharp, arriving in East Sacramento at five minutes to ten. It was a very nice drive since this time we took the Prius Plug-In, not the three-quarter-ton Dodge pickup. That car, by the way, is an invitation to a speeding ticket since on a smooth road it can creep up to 85 MPH or more without my noticing! So I activate cruise control and keep my foot off the accelerator.

We were the very first customers at the check stand and loaded the packages into the car. Whew! Mission accomplished! Then we headed back inside to do more shopping for us and Hilary and Luke. (Any time either of our families goes to town, we check with the other to see what they need. Saves gas.)

Another four hours on the road and we were back home. The sun still shone so Karla took the dogs for a walk while I tried to figure out where to put a carload of stuff. By nightfall, we had unloaded everything and were ready to eat and go to bed. No more getting up at five for a few days!

On Monday I assembled the table. The quality of the parts is outstanding, especially the top. Solid oak, heavy as all get out, and just simply flawless. The instructions said to sand it lightly, then spend the next month giving it plenty of oil, so we won't be using the table as it's intended for at least a week. Then it's going to be the main meal-assembly spot. We already had about sixty square feet of built-in countertop, but it's all ceramic tile. This table is just shy of ten square feet, but we can use a knife on it anywhere.

It's also a nice place to sit and have breakfast as we did for the first time this morning, enjoying poached eggs on cornmeal patties, Canadian bacon, and a bowl of creamy yogurt topped with fresh raspberries, blackberries, and dried cranberries. Now I can get back to my usual duty, assembling the IKEA office furniture for Karla's space. I figure I have at least another two days' work doing that. Wish me luck. And stamina.